A lot of us have been working from home for a while now. But things are gradually starting to change, and many of us are starting to return to the office. There are certainly a lot of good things about being back! It’s especially nice to have the opportunity to see coworkers in person again.

But there are also a few drawbacks. One thing in particular that I know a lot of people are going to miss is being able to get a little extra sleep in the morning.

One of the nice things about working from home is that it gives you the chance to sleep a little later than usual. There’s no need to shower, get dressed, pack a lunch, and commute to the office. You can just roll out of bed, make yourself a cup of coffee, sit down at your desk in your pajamas, and get to work. A lot of time is saved, so that means there’s more time to sleep. And many people have taken advantage of this perk. According to a Nielsen survey conducted in June 2020, more than half of respondents (54%) reported getting up later as a result of working from home.

But now that we’re heading back to the office, we need to start getting up earlier. We need to become morning people again! Author Rachel Feintzeig is here to help us make that transition. According to Feintzeig and sleep scientist Rebecca Robbins, we simply need to follow these steps:

  • Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual.
  • Don’t watch TV, look at your phone, or look at any other type of screen 30 minutes before bed.
  • Get up when your alarm goes off instead of hitting the snooze button. The snooze button disrupts your natural sleep cycle and the extra “snooze” time won’t help you to feel more rested.
  • Once you get up, go outside or look out your window. Being exposed to natural light will help to wake you up and reset your circadian rhythm.

Follow these steps for two weeks, and you should be good to go — although it would also be helpful to develop a regular morning routine so you won’t feel harried or stressed as you get ready for work. Make sure to include some pleasurable things in your routine (such as cuddling your dog or savoring a hot beverage) so that you actually enjoy your morning instead of just rushing through it.

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Feintzeig, R. (2021, September 7). You can wake up as a morning person. The Wall Street Journal, pp. A10, A11.